The term "decryption" refers to the process of converting encrypted (encoded) data back into its original, readable form. Decryption is a key element of data security and is primarily used to protect confidential information—such as personal data, corporate documents, or communication content—from unauthorized access. Decryption is typically performed by authorized parties who possess the correct key or necessary permissions.
Key Management: Managing, storing, and providing decryption keys or certificates.
Automated Decryption: Automatically decrypting data upon access, such as opening encrypted files or emails.
User Authentication: Ensuring that only authorized users can access decrypted content.
Integrity Checking: Verifying that the decrypted data remains unchanged and trustworthy.
Logging and Audit Trails: Documenting all decryption activities for traceability and security monitoring.
Support for Various Encryption Standards: Compatibility with formats such as AES, RSA, PGP, or S/MIME.
File and Disk Decryption: Decrypting encrypted documents, databases, or entire storage drives.
Email Decryption: Making encrypted email communications readable via client- or server-side processes.
An employee opens an encrypted PDF file using a personal decryption key.
A software solution automatically decrypts confidential customer data when displayed in the CRM system.
A company uses a hardware security module (HSM) to centrally secure encryption and decryption operations.
An IT administrator reviews audit logs to detect unauthorized decryption attempts.
A lawyer reads an encrypted email using their S/MIME certificate.